Korech

Korech is a Passover Seder ritual in which participants eat a sandwich made from matzah (unleavened bread), maror (bitter herbs), and charoset. The term Korech, sometimes transliterated Korekh, derives from a Hebrew root meaning to wrap or combine, reflecting the practice of bringing the elements together.

Origin and practice: Korech is attributed to Hillel the Elder, who, according to the Talmud, wrapped the bitter herbs with matzah and charoset to form a single bite. In the Seder, a piece of matzah is placed on the plate and used as the base for the maror and charoset, creating a sandwich-like gesture. Some communities use the matzah piece broken during Yachatz as the base for Korech.

Symbolism: Korech emphasizes the paradox of the Exodus—suffering and redemption—by uniting affliction (maror) with the unleavened bread (matzah) and the mortar-like sweetness of charoset. The act recalls the instruction to eat the Passover offering with bitter herbs and to do so together with the matzah, highlighting both the hardship of slavery and the subsequent liberation.

Variations: Practices vary among Jewish communities. While Korech is common in many Ashkenazi and Mizrahi traditions, some groups modify or omit the ritual based on local customs or interpretations. The core idea remains the symbolic mingling of the three elements to remember the Exodus.

See also: Passover Seder, Matzah, Maror, Charoset, Hillel.